What to give chicken that lays soft shell eggs?

Answer 1

This is often a problem with calcium intake or utilization. Hens that do not get fed enough calcium in the diet fail to produce well formed eggs. Laying a soft shell or "rubber" egg is common. Soft shell eggs are also possible from pullets just coming into egg production (oviduct training or test eggs). Older hens just finishing their egg laying life and utilizing the available calcium for bone maintenance will often lay a soft shelled egg.
if the chicken doesn't have enough calcium in their diet then the egg is therefore at a lack of calcium as well (soft shelled)

Answer 2

They are probably aging out. As a hen ages, the ovaries fail to utilize the nutrition the bird ingests the same way as when the bird was young. They slow egg production by about two years old and often those eggs they do lay are lacking calcium. You can help them for a few weeks by offering a tonic with extra calcium or a general layer complete ration. This is only a temporary solution however and if your hens are more than two years old they are heading into retirement.

Answer 3

Age and or nutritional deficiency. Older hens will eventually start to deplete calcium supplies. They stop utilizing the calcium they ingest and the shell of the last few eggs laid will be "rubber" or gelatinous. If the hen is under 2 years old then you need to add extra calcium to her diet. Supplements are available at all livestock feed outlets or just grind up oyster/clam/shrimp shells and add that to the feed.

Answer 4

There are several possible reasons your hen is producing "rubber" eggs. It is most likely she is aging out and her system cannot properly utilize the calcium she is consuming. If your hen is young then you will need to boost her calcium and protein levels. Calcium enhanced feed is available. Ground shellfish shells that are added to the feed she is now eating is also available commercially. I suggest you try a layer complete feed available at all agricultural feed outlets.

Answer 5

The chicken egg shell is made from calcium carbonate and a protein matrix. It is the calcium that gives it the hardness. If a hen is laying soft shelled eggs, she needs more calcium. The usual treatment is to supplement her diet with oyster shell which you can buy at the feed store. You can also crush egg shell and feed it back to her. Another alternative, if you have a garden, is to supplement with greens. Any greens will do - mustard, kale, chard, even weeds from the garden will help somewhat. Hopefully that will do the trick. If it doesn't a trip to the vet is in order. He might find that the hen doesn't have the enzymes to properly process calcium.

Answer 6

soft sells due to lack of calcum in chicken feed.give oster sell grit

Answer 7

Pullets just beginning to lay will produce small eggs until their oviducts get used to producing eggs.

Some breeds of chicken just naturally produce a small egg.